Coven Members
Who are these women? Allie! *'About me': I love food, running, my dogs, hanging out with good company, and moving every few years. Although I wish I could say that I often spend my evenings in the kitchen creating delicious meals, I am a big fan of quick recipes full of fresh ingredients and spices. I joined the Coven to expand my culinary horizons, keep up with friends, and meet other lovely ladies. Plus, I love to utilize the props and sound effects in Google Hangout as often as I can! *'Your favorite foods: '''Asian and Mexican *'Your favorite drinks: Chocolate milk, white wine *'Your favorite restaurant: '''Anything Thai *'Your favorite kitchen tool/feature/utensil: 'Wok *'Your go-to cooking advice or cooking habit: When in doubt, start with olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes. *'A favorite memory involving you and another coven member: '''One cold winter night in December 2012, the ladies of the Coven helped me become more domestic. Cindy patienty instructed me in the art of iron-on letters, then Leah taught me how to sew sequins onto my apron. I remember watching in awe as other Coven members created masterpieces out of puff paint, fabric, letters, thread, and sequins. Lauren #1 *'About me': A southern transplant in chilly New England, I often find that the things I miss most about Cville are the people, the mountains, and the FOOD. Yummy dumplings, fresh-picked apples and peaches, and vineyards at every turn are the stuff of dreams when you're buried under four feet of snow and clam chowdah. I would like to thank the Coven for helping me conquer my fear of baking with yeast. *'Your favorite foods: Peanut butter, butter butter, brie, apples (Jonagold & Honeycrisp, for Cindy), pesto *'Your favorite drinks: '''Wine (a good malbec or a Virginia viognier), a mint julep, homemade root beer, and on a hot day, an ice-cold sweet tea *'Your favorite restaurant: 'Zinc, Secco, Can Can *'Your favorite kitchen tool/feature/utensil: 'KitchenAid mixer, a good knife, a microplane zester (simple, but oh so handy). *'Your go-to cooking advice or cooking habit: When in doubt, add more butter. *'A favorite memory involving you and another coven member: '''Cabin weekends: where the air is warm, the food is delectable, and both the wine glass and the hot tub runneth over. Ann *'About me': Born and raised in Cville. The first thing I really remember learning to make all by myself was egg salad at the age of 5. I loved it. I loved it so much that one day I made and ate just a little too much... To this day, I can't eat a hard boiled egg. I try to eat what's in season in Virginia but sometimes I just really want a banana. I love looking for new recipes, maybe even more than I like making them. I hate being rushed in the kitchen. I recently spent an entire Saturday making English muffins and hummus while watching old episodes of Mad Men. *'Your favorite foods: Potatoes. Dark, leafy greens. Cheese. Pretty much anything that doesn't involve olives, licorice or the aforementioned hardboiled egg. *'Your favorite drinks: '''Bourbon. Water. Coffee. *'Your favorite restaurant: Anywhere that makes something that I can't make at home. *'Your favorite kitchen tool/feature/utensil: '''I have a KitchenAid stand mixer and I like to make sure everyone knows. A kitchen scale. A good knife. A cast iron skillet. *'Your go-to cooking advice or cooking habit: You can never use too much garlic. *'A favorite memory involving you and another coven member: '''Stec and I shared an embrace on a bridge in Chicago one warm spring day. A few hours later it was announced that Osama Bin Laden had been killed. There's no way that that was a coincidence. Leah *'About me: I'm a budding food snob. I try to eat locally and seasonally, as much as I can afford. I have a garden that is more special to me than I imagine children are to mothers. Though I'm vegetarian, I try to make meals that meat can easily be added to, since I'm usually also cooking for my pork-loving man. I am also a feminist, and am proud that so many of us ladies kick ass not only outside of the home, but inside as well. I jumped at the idea of the Coven, because I love cooking, eating, and challenges. *'Your favorite foods: '''Cheese and crackers, grilled vegetables, warm baguettes, dark chocolate, apples and peanut butter. *'Your favorite drinks: Coffee, water, red wine with notes of plum, cherry, and chocolate. *'Your favorite restaurant: 'Maya *'Your favorite kitchen tool/feature/utensil: '''Knife sharpener, gas stove (f*** you, Cindy), coffee grinder *'Your go-to cooking advice or cooking habit: '"There's no way this won't taste good.. right?" *'A favorite memory involving you and another coven member: 'The first time I had grilled portobello mushrooms at Ben & Cindy's. Less specifically, girl's nights. Cindy *'About me: Deeper south than I'd prefer to be, I started the Coven to keep me connected to the women and places I love. I spend a lot of time thinking about food, nutrition and dinner parties. I talk in extremes. I'm not interested in being friends with someone who doesn't have a favorite apple variety. *'Your favorite foods': apples (Albemarle Pippin, Honeycrisp, Cortland to name a few), cheese, Greek yogurt, eggs, peanut butter, tomatoes...I'll stop now. *'Your favorite drinks': coffee, especially beans from Central and South America. Beer, especially pilsners, hefeweizens and dunkelweizens. *'Your favorite restaurants': Tilthe. Zocalo. *'Your favorite kitchen tool/feature/utensil': Chef knife. Castiron skillet. *'Your go-to cooking advice or cooking habit': Just put an egg on top. Whenever possible, thank your host/hostess by doing the dishes. *'A favorite memory involving you and another coven member': Jen and Julie once lived in the perfect little starter home - 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, open kitchen/dining room, front porch, back patio with a grill. They hosted game nights and dinner parties. It only took a couple of visits before I was in their kitchen (probably washing dishes) and I discovered The Drawer. Not just any old drawer - a diagonal drawer. It looked like a basic drawer from the outside, but when you opened it, it extended to the left from a right corner. From then on, I opened The Drawer whenever I visited. Although they no longer share a home, I hope to one day gift a diagonal drawer to Jen and Julie. Your member profile All coven members should create a profile. Include: *'About me': give as much/little detail as you'd like, but consider sharing why you're in the coven and what you like about baking, cooking, womanhood or all the above. *'Your favorite foods' *'Your favorite drinks' *'Your favorite restaurant' *'Your favorite kitchen tool/feature/utensil' *'Your go-to cooking advice or cooking habit' (e.g. When all else fails, serve ice cream) *'A favorite memory involving you and another coven member '(food-related or not)